Tony Dungy explains why he wasn’t part of concussion lawsuit

NBC NFL analyst Tony Dungy joined the show to talk about the NFL’s settlement on concussion issues.

Dungy said he had two concussions while he was playing, but “it’s part of the game.” He said he wasn’t part of the lawsuit and said he didn’t need the help. But he’s glad those who do need help will get it.

Dungy said that he knows a lot of guys who’ve had health problems and not just head injuries. Dungy said he just ran into former teammate L.C. Greenwood, who is having very bad leg and back problems.

Dungy said a big part of the problem is the makeup of players. “Guys want to play,” Dungy said. “It’s part of their makeup. I’ve never had a player come to me and say the doctors say I’m ready, but I don’t want to play. Never happened in my coaching career.”

Dungy said that when he played in the 1970s, the union didn’t focus much on long-term health benefits.

Dungy explained that practice used to be a lot tougher — they were always in pads. “We didn’t know what a non-padded practice was,” Dungy said. “I never heard of that until I left the Steelers.”